Dover Council approves request for bed tax funds

More historic images on signal light control boxes will come to Dover after the passage of Emergency Resolution 21-23. The resolution will release $5,000 to the Dover Lions Club to place the images at 10 additional locations.

Council and the community have been pleased with the historical images that were previously placed around the city.

“One of the things we’ve gotten back from residents was would the city be willing to put like a history of (each image) at each intersection,” Shane Gunnoe said. “The answer is yes.”

The city is in the process of redesigning its website and will wait until all the new images are added before detailing the history. One idea was to have a code people could scan with their phones that would take them to information about each photo.

In his mayor’s report, Shane Gunnoe gave an update on several projects that were previously discussed at past meetings.

The wire loop extension project from Mooreville Road to the state Route 39 area is expected to begin Wednesday and should run for approximately six weeks.

“Contractors begin work today at the park installing the required hardware for phase one of our public Wi-Fi project,” Gunnoe said. “You will likely see crews in the park doing the hardware installation and building the system on and off for the next several weeks.”

Curbs are expected to go in along the south side of County Road 80 next week between Tremont and Cross streets. Sidewalks are expected soon afterward. The street pavement will be widened in that area when the paving contractor returns in October.

“The city has prepared a corner on the downtown square with new concrete in preparation to receive Dover’s LoveTusc sculpture,” Gunnoe said. “The sculpture, themed ‘The Spirit of Dover,’ was unveiled last week, and artist Cathy Straub did a phenomenal job incorporating the spirit of our community.”

The sculpture will be placed at the square in October.

The Dover Fire Department has received $20,000 in funding from the Ohio Ambulance Transportation Grant Program, and it will be used to help support the operation of ambulance services in Dover.

Trick or treat is scheduled in Dover for Saturday, Oct. 28 from 5-7 p.m.

Gunnoe made other announcements as well:

—The water department will do hydrant flushing through Friday, Oct. 6.

—The first Parktober Fest at Dover City Park is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 7 from 3-6 p.m. The event is a fundraiser to benefit Dover Parks through the Dover Parks Community Foundation. The event will feature German food, a live polka band, traditional German games and homemade root beer.

—The last day for the Dover City Farmers Market will be Thursday, Sept. 28.

—The Dover Lions Club Halloween Parade is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 6:45 p.m. and will step off from Dover High School. The deadline for entries is Oct. 23.

—The next Food Truck Thursday will be held at Dover Park on Sept. 28.

Gunnoe asked for two council assignments. The first was a resolution authorizing the mayor of Dover to submit an application to the Ohio Department of Development for the Community Development Block Grant revolving loan fund program. Funds would be used for construction of a new curb and sidewalks, along with roadway improvements along West Seventh Street and Center Street between Sixth and Seventh streets. There will be two public hearings on the matter. The first is Oct. 2 at 7:15 p.m. The second, which is specific to the project, is scheduled for Oct. 16 at 7:15 p.m.

Gunnoe’s second request was for a council assignment for an ordinance authorizing the director of public service or his designee to apply for the state fiscal year 2024 Ohio Department of Transportation grant cycle of the Transportation Alternatives Program. If this grant is approved, the city would use the money for the extension of sidewalks from the downtown area to the west on Third Street. Extension of sidewalks in that area would improve pedestrian access and safety. The total project would cost approximately $469,000, not including engineering, with the ODOT grant funding covering up to 95% of costs. The application requires a public hearing, which is scheduled for Oct. 16 at 7 p.m.

Service Director Dave Douglas spoke about the East 20th Street bridge project. He has been in discussions with ODOT to replace the bridge with a four-sided box culvert. The change in plans would save approximately $888,000, although the total project would still be around $1 million to complete. The box culvert would still hold the required weight including a school bus.

Dover resident Jennifer Flaherty proposed a communication board for nonverbal children be added to the playground at the city park. The board would be 3-by-5 feet in size. For anyone who is nonverbal, a board provides choices, but it can benefit them in other ways too.

“For somebody that has autism, that helps with turn taking, helping them to be independent, pretend play, balance, coordination and being able to choose their own things,” Flaherty said. “It helps everybody communicate so that they have a way to communicate. They have an opportunity to speak and to say what they would like to do.”

The matter was assigned to the parks and recreation committee.

The next Dover Council meeting will be held Monday, Oct. 2 in council chambers, 121 E. Second St., Dover.